


Stalling

by Inkpot



Series: Another Thread: Unbroken Bonds [10]
Category: Sonic the Hedgehog (Video Games), Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Gen, Infinite's motives are complex, Silver knows more than he's been told, attempted arguments, references to bad stuff, this was supposed to be an action scene whoops
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-09
Updated: 2019-11-09
Packaged: 2021-01-25 20:24:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21362182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inkpot/pseuds/Inkpot
Summary: Silver finally gets a chance to vent some of his anger at Infinite. The jackal doesn't cooperate.
Series: Another Thread: Unbroken Bonds [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1505933
Kudos: 39





	Stalling

**Author's Note:**

> Help I only have one more required pre-Forces oneshot and then the main Forces longfic aaaa

The whole base was in chaos. People screaming, crying, digging friends and strangers out of the rubble. Infinite’s attack had come on too suddenly to prepare, and any emergency plans quickly fell to pieces. The jackal himself hovered high above, surveying his work in silence.

Silver was doing what he could to evacuate the place, from pointing people in the right direction to whipping up makeshift splints and crutches to fighting off hoards of robots. It wasn’t long before he realized they weren’t moving fast enough to save anyone, much less as many people as they had left.

“I’m going up there,” he called to Amy as she punted another robot into the sun. Even with her stamina she was breathing heavily. “At this rate we’re goners, but if I distract him-”

“Lure him down here,” she said, the command short and simple but with an edge of distress. “If you get him on the ground we can work together, but if you’re alone-”

“I’m more maneuverable. We don’t need to defeat him, just stall for time, and I can play keep away as long as my powers last.”

Amy looked at him for a moment, a moment longer than they really had, but finally nodded. “Stay safe. Call if you’re in trouble, we’ll… we’ll do something.”

“Will do.”

He shot into the air before she could say anything more, snagging a broken beam as he did. “Infinite!” he roared, flinging the heavy chunk of iron at his enemy.

Infinite turned his head slightly, raising a hand palm out toward the projectile. A wall of cubes swarmed together in front of him and deflected it harmlessly back, forcing Silver to dodge out of the way with a sharp curse.

Infinite slowly lowered his hand to look at Silver. “You. I remember you. You’re the one Gadget keeps spending time with.”

Silver bristled at the calm, calculating tone. “Yeah, I am. Got a problem with that?”

“Not really. I’m just wondering if you know how lucky you are.”

His eyes narrowed. “Why? Because I didn’t die in your rampage yet? Because I’m not some kind of slave to your messed up empire? You’re destroying this world, your actions are going to lead this planet to ruin, and you say I’m _lucky?_”

Infinite didn’t so much as twitch. “No. You’re lucky because Gadget is mostly avoiding connections right now, but he still accepted you as a friend.”

Silver’s rage boiled over. He snagged a flying robot several meters down and hurled it at Infinite with all the force he could muster. “Of course he’s not making connections! With you chasing him down anyone close to him would be in danger you jerk!”

Infinite effortlessly dodged the robot, not even changing position. He dodged the next two Silver threw with the same unaffected calm. When Silver stopped for a moment, he asked, “Do you really believe that?”

Silver froze, thrown off by the unexpected question. “Do I… believe that?”

Infinite sighed as though disappointed. He began idly swirling a set of tiny cubes around one hand. “You heroic types are all the same. So busy trying to do the best for everyone, so busy avoiding your so-called failures, that you forget to consider yourselves.” The cubes vanished as he clenched his fist. “And with his lack of self-preservation on top of that… is it that confusing that I want to protect him?”

“That doesn’t give you the right to _imprison_ him! If you really want him to stay safe-”

Infinite’s head snapped up, one eye glowing brilliant red in tandem with the ruby. “What? Do I offer advice? Follow all the rules and tell him to do the same? I tried to do the best for my family, that doesn’t make them less dead! I tried to help him and he still-”

He cut off abruptly, the mask lowering as he took a slow, deep breath. When he tilted it back up, Silver could feel the steely gaze even with the barrier. “The world doesn’t work that way. If you really want to protect someone, you have to do whatever it takes.”

He turned to face the ruined base behind them. “I believe that little evacuation of yours is done, so no need to keep stalling. Go on back to your little friends. And see what you’re willing to do to protect those people you’re ‘saving’.”

With that, he vanished along with his illusions, leaving no sign he’d ever been there. Silver stared at the empty space for a long moment before flying down, thinking about what he was supposed to tell the others.

(It wasn’t because he didn’t want to think about Infinite’s words, even if they had cut deep. But that didn’t make him right.)

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on tumblr [here](https://lessinkmoregraphite.tumblr.com/).
> 
> Any and all comments appreciated!


End file.
